Grenade or bomb



l. H. WOODBERRY.

GRENADE 0R BOMB;

APPLICAUQN FILED Dec. 1o. 191s.

Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET L 1.AH.w00DBEHRY.

GRENADE 0R BOMB.

APPucATioN FILED DEC, lo, 191.8.

Patented Jamn 25, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN E. WOODBERRY, 0E TEE UNITED STATES f.: 5::

GRENADE 0R BOMB.

assenza.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Jan. 25, i921.

(FILED UNDER. THE ACT 0F MRCH 8, 1883, 22 STAT. L., 625.)

in the United States, without payment ofV any royalty thereon.

This invention is applicable to grenades or bombs fired from rifies or other firearms which fire ammunition of a greater caliber than the bore of the arm; and has reference to riie grenades containing high explosive charges, a removable detonator normally carried separately from the grenade,.and a ball-release safety device or clutch for securing the plunger in a safe position during transportation and storage and for releasing the plunger by utilizing the shock of discharge of the propelling-charge at the instant of firing, so as to render the plunger operative upofn impact.

Some of the objects of the invention are to provide a grenade possessing few parts, which is simple in construction and positive and sensitive in action and which insures Safety during storage and handling incident to transportationof explosive evioes.

" Another important object is to provide novel construction, combination and ar-' rangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in thefaccompanying drawings.

Th Invention is graphically illustrated,

in the accompanying drawings, which dis'- close an exemplary embodiment capable of carrying outE the underlying rinciples thereof. rlhe different views of t e drawin may be briefly described as follows:

igure 1 is a central, vertical, longitudinal, sectional view of a grenade embodying my improvements, showing the normal position of the parts thereofprior to discharginthe ride;

ig. 2 is a similar view, showing the position of the parts immediately ater discharge of the rie;

Fig. 3 is a similar view, showingthe position of the parts upon impact of the grenade with the objective;

Fig. 4 is' a cross sectional viewon the line 4&4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detached detail perspective view of the end cap of the grenade.

Referring, now, in detail to the drawings;

l is a grenade-body, which, as shown, is preferably a cylindrical shell having threaded ends, said body forming the principal fragmentation envelop containing the eX- plosive charge 2, which is detonated, in the usual manner, by the explosion of the detonator 3. The forward end of the grenade is normally closed by an end cap 4, which is threaded on the grenade-body, as shown. To enable the cap to be readily screwed onto and off of the grenade-body, the cap is provided with a boss 5, having a groove 6, in which latter may be inserted a suitable tool, and, for this purpose, the stem of the grenade may be used.

To prevent moisture from entering the high explosive charge 2, and also to prevent said charge from spilling when the cap 4 is removed a disk 7 is shown as ti htly fitting over the end of the grenade bo y, 1.

Thedetonator 3, together with the primer 37, is removably carried within the grenade body, and, for this purpose, may be slipped into and out of a lining or casin 8, carried axially within the grenade-bo y 1. This casin 8 may be situated in the end wall 9 of a xed tube 10 within the grenade-body. The detonator 3 is shown as a commercial blasting-cap, containing a suitable primer 37, to insure detonation. However, it is well known that the primer is not essential, and that the fulminate of the blasting cap itself may be stabbed directly by the firingpin 11, to produce detonatlon; consequently, the primer may be omitted, if desired.

The firing-pin 11 is carried by a plunger 12, reciprocating within said tube 10, a coiled spring 13' being disposed between the head of said plunger and the end wall 9 of the tube 10, and'tending to 'force the plunger rearward, thus preventing premature explosion, due to the operation of the i plunger while the grenade isnin flight.

' -in'which and the Aas Said plungery 12 is provided with a hollow rear portion 14, which slides on a hollow cylindrical, open ended fixed member- 15, providedwith a hollow head 16. The member 15 is provided with apertures, 17, peripheral groove 18, in the hollow portion 14 of the plunger 12, are normally situated locking-balls 19, 19, constituting ball-clutches, thus locking the plunger to said fixed member 15 against movement. Slidable in the hollow member 15 is an auxiliary plunger 20, provided, intermediate the -ends thereof, with longitudinally-extending grooves or pockets 21, 21. In the normalrearward position of said plunger 20, the grooves 21, 21 are out of registry with said balls 19, 19, as shown in Fig 1, thus preventing` release of the plunger.

For the purpose of yieldingly retaining the .auxiliary plunger 2O in said rearward position, the shear pin .22 passes transversely through the head 23 of said plunger and through the head 16 of said stationary member 15.

By the locking means described, the plunger 12 is held in safe position during transportation and storage.

In the rear end of the grenade body 1, or that end opposite the cap 4, is screwed a hollow nose 24.

Detachably carried b the rear end of said nose is a stem or ro 25. v Any suitable means may be provided for detachably securing the stem to the nose. I- have shown in the drawings my preferred means, com` rising a `rod 0r wire 26, of spring material, bent into the form of a loop, the bent terminals 27, 27 projecting mto transverse openings 28, 28 in the rear end of the no se 24, an normally engaging a circumferential groove 29, in the stem 25.

head. To support the string 31.

The stem 25 is desirably of lesser diamis Intended to be used, as shown in Fig. 1, and, if said stem be of lesser diameter, I provide the same with a head 32, refer-ably detachably secured to the end t ereof, as by a screw threaded connection 33 as shown in Fig. 1, said head constituting a piston-` stem, 25 41n the riflebarrel A, at the muzzle thereof, suitable means may be provided; in this instance, I have shown a split ring 34, of spring material, engaging the proper groove 30 on the stem. The stem is assembled with thegrenade by projecting the same into the rear end of the grenade, and, as soon as the groove 29 comes into re the loop mem r 26, said ends s ring into said groove, thus yieldingly holding said stemin position.

The linventionv comprises means for insuring true head-on Hight and impact, wheny the grenade yis discharged from the rifle.

The drawings disclose my preferred form,

comprising a flexible disk 36, preferably of fabrlc of suitablediameter to produce the desired air resistance. The dlsk may be conveniently secured to the loop 26, as by means of a flexible connection, such as a The disk 36 andthe cord 31 may be appropriately termed 'the tail of the renade. f 1

eans are provided for predetermining the range of thev grenade: It will be noted that a short insertion of the stem 25 'in the rifle barrel A gives rise to a lower internal pressure and, consequently, a shorter range, than when the stem is inserted farther into the rifle-barrel.

The depth to which the stem shall be inserted into the rifle-barrel A may be determined by graduations on the stem, and in this instance, these graduations take the form of circumferential grooves, 30, equidistantly spaced on the stem 25.

Having thus fully described the construction of the device, the operation may be briefly described as follows:

The normal position of the arts is as shown in Fig. 1, in which the all-release safety-device 19 is operative to hold the plunger inthe rearward or safe position, during transportation and storage, and in which the auxiliary lunger 20 is held, by the shear pin 22, in t e rear position thereof, so as to hold the ball clutches 19, 19 in locking position. f

For the purpose of transportation and storage, the detonator, 3, withV the primer 37 is withdrawn from the grenade-bod v; but, when it is desired to the end cap, 7, is removed and the detonator, with the pr1mer, slip grenade-body, and t d into position in the, e cap agaln screwed eter than the bore of the riiie with whichI it sov ster with theends 27, 27, of .K

use the'grena e, l'

lso

aoi

in place. The stem 25 of the grenade may be used to unscrew and screw the cap.

Also for purpose of storage and transportation the stem 25 is detached from the grenade. When it is desired to use the grenade, the stem is slipped into the grenade, the termials of the spring member 26 spring ing into the end groove 29 of the stem, as shown in-Fig. 1; and, it having been determined the range at which it is desired to have the grenade explode, the stem 25 is inserted in the rifle barrel A to the corresponding graduation 30, on the stem.

The grenade is propelled by the shock of discharge of the propelling-charge of the rifle at the time of firing, said propelling charge being usually a blank cartrid e, or a cartridge With the bullet removed. gUpon firing the rifle, the stem is driven into the position shown in Fig. 2, pushing the auxiliary plunger, 20, inward, bringing the recesses or pockets 21, 21 thereof into register with the balls 19, 19, thus releasing the plunger 12, and arming the grenade. InV

the flight of the grenade, the tail assumes the position shoWn in Fig. 2, insuring a true head-on flight and impact.

Upon impact, the plunger 12 is driven forward in the usual manner, against the resistance of the lspring 13, thus exploding the grenade by the penetration of the firinfr-pin, 11, into theprimer 37.

IVIany changes will suggest themselves; but all such modifications as come Within the scope of the patent claims constitute no departure from the s irit of my invention.

Having thus fully escribed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rifle grenade, the' combination, with thevgrenade-body, of a plunger, a stationary member internally carried by said grenade-body, a ball-clutch for normally locking said plunger to said stationary member and thus maintaining said plunger in unarmed relation, an auxiliary plunger normally holding said ball-clutch in operative position, and a stem projecting into said grenade-body and contacting with said auxiliary plunger to move thel same to release said clutch.

2. In a rifle grenade, the combination, with the grenade-body, of a plunger, a stationary member` internally carried by said grenade-body, a ball-clutch for normally `locking said plunger to said stationary member and thus mamtainin said plunger 1n unarmed relation an auxi iary plunger normally holding sa1d`ball-clutch in operative position, and a stem projecting into said grenade body and yieldingly held therein against movement, said stem. contacting with said auxiliary plunger and movable to push the same to release said clutch.

3. In a rifle grenade, the combination, With the grenade-body, of a concussionplunger, a stationary member internally carried by the grenade-body, a ball-clutch for spring material,yieldingly holding said stem against longitudinal movement.

4. In a rifle renade, the combination, with the grena e-body, of a concussion plunger, a stationary member internally carried by the grenade-body, a ball-clutch for normally locking said plunger to said stationary member and thus maintaining said plunger in unarmed relation, an auxiliary plunger normally holding said ball-clutch in operative position, a stem projecting into said grenade body and contacting With said auxiliary plunger to move same to release said concussion plunger and a wire loop, of spring material, yieldingly holding said stem against longitudinal movement.

5. In a rifle grenade, the combination, with the grenade body, of a concussion plunger, a stationary member internally carried by the grenade body, a ball-clutch for normally locking said plunger to said'stationary member and thus maintaining said plunger in unarmed relation an auxiliary plun' ger normally holding 'said ball-clutch in operative position, a stem projecting into said grenade-body and contacting With said auxiliary plunger to move the same to releasesaid concussion lunger, 4a member, of spring material, yie dingly. holding said stem against movement, and a grenade-tail carried by said member and operable to insure head-on flight and impact of said grenade.

6. In a rie grenade, the combination, with the grenade-body, of a concussion plunger, a stationary member internally carried by the grenade-body, a ball-clutch for normally locking said plunger to said stationary member and thus maintaining said plunger in unarmed relation, an auxiliary plunger normally holding said ball-.clutch in operative position, a stem projecting into said grenade-body and contacting with said auxiliary plunger to move the same to release said concussion plun er, a member, of spring material, yiel ingly holding said stem against movement, and a grenade-tail carried by said member and operable to insure head-on flight and impact of said grenade, said tail comprising a disk anda exible connection between saidI disk and said member of spring material.

7. In a. grenade designed'to be fired from a rifle or other firearm, the combination, Withthe grenade-body containing explosive material, of a plunger Within said grenadebody adapted to explode said material, and means operable to arm the' plunger upon iringthe rifle, including a stem projecting into said grenade-body and yieldingly held against longitudinal movement, being insertible in the rifle barrel.

8. lIn a rifle grenade, a'retarding tailcarried thereby and operatin to insure true head-on Hight thereof, sai tail comprising a disk and a fiexible connection between said disk and the renade.

OHN H. WOODBERRY.

said stem 

